Coffee and tea strainer.



HQD. SMITH.

COFFEE AND TEA STRAINER. APPLICATION P ILED 0GT.12, 1912.

1,076,795, Patented 001328,1913.

NITEI) STATS PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY I). SMITH, OF MANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

`{JtFIITIElIf AND TEA STRAINER.

To all whom t may concern Mansfield, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseiul Improvements in Cofiee and Tea Strainers; and I do hereby declai'e the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to strainers, and

it more particularly relates to coti'ee `and tea i strainers.`

An object 01 the invention is to provide an improved pivotal mounting for the strainer member in connection with a drip cup therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for mounting a handle on the drip cup.

Another object of the invention is to provide one of the standards or pivoted supports with an improved `form of shank for securing the standard to the drip cup and to A the handle.

Other objects and advantages may be recited hereinafter and in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which forni a part of this application, F igure 1 is a perspective View of the complete device in position for use. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view through the complete i device. Fig. 3 is a fraginental sectional view taken on the line 3 3 ofF-ig. 2. Figs.

L1 and 5 are blanks from which the respective standards are formed. Fig. G is an end View of the apertured end of the handle, and, Fig. 7 is a fraginental side elevation view of the apertured end `of the handle.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate Vcorresp ending parts throughout the several. views, a drip cup ont ordinary configuration is designated by the numeral 10. This drip cup is provided with oppositely disposed groups of apertures 11. Standards 12 are each formed with a flared or converging lower end portion terminatingin arms 13 which extend substantially at right angles to the median line of the standard. A tongue 14 is formed on the end of each arm 13 and extends in the direction of the inedian line. A tongue 15 is formed between the tongues 111 on the median line of one of the standards, While on the other stand- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application,filed-October 12, 1912.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913. Serial No. 725,472.

ard a tongue 16 of greater length than the Be it known that I, HENRY D.. Sirrri-n a citizen ot the United States, residing at,

:tongue 15 substitutes the latter. The arms 13 of each standard are provided with alined edges 1T which form the base of the standard, and from this base the standard has a general convergence toward its end 18 from which the pivots are formed, by bending the portion 1S at 19. The tongue 16 is also curved into a cylindrical segment (see Fig. 2), throughout the major portion o1 its length so as to forni a securing shank. Stop lugs 2O are formed on `opposite sides of each standard, for a purpose hereinafter stated. The standards are each curved about an axis parallel with its median line, so as to render it more rigid and to bring the tongues 14, 15 and 1'6 into position for entering the apertures 11, the latter being arranged in a circle which is concentric with the drip cup (see Fig.

The standards 12 are secured on the upper riin of the drip cup, by inserting the tongues of the standards 12 through the apertures 11, se that the base 17 fit snugly upon said rim. The `tongues 15 and 1G are then turned outward, the tongues 14 being i turned inward, thereby securing the standards iu place upon the rim of the drip cup. Beside turning the tongue 16 outward, a section 16 thereof is turned upward to a level somewhat above the top oi the drip cup, thereby providing a space 21 between the lower end ot the standard 12 and the main body ot' the shank 1G and above the riln of the drip cup. Uien desirable, this space 21 may be filled with solder, for the purpose ontk increasing the strength of the shank or tongue 1G at the point where it enters -the socket 22 of a handle 23. The handle has one end apertured so as t0 form this socket 22, this socket being o1' segmental contour and being formed with la recess 211, for the reception of the depending portion 16a of the tongue 16, said handle being formed with eppositely disposed radial slots 25 for the reception of the rim 10. By this construction, the riin and supporting shank are engaged by the handle and snugly1 fitted into the slots and apertures thereof, so as to provide a secure and strong connection therewith.

A strainer member consists of a strainer ring 26 provided with diametrically opposed apertures 27 into which the pivots 18 extend for supporting the strainer member. The ring 26 is provided with a depending foraminous member 28 of Wire cloth or the like, through Which the tea or coee is to be strained. This member'28 may be secured to the member 26 by any proper means. The rim 26 has its top portion formed into a bead 29.

In using this device, it is tilted into the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the strainer member is over a cup into which the material is to be strained, said material being poured from a boiler or other vessel into the strainer. During this operation, the operator is likely to pay less attention to the drip cup than to the strainer member, the cup into Which the liquid is to be strained and the vessel from which it is being poured, so that the drip cup is likely to be tilted too much and thereby spill liquid therefrom. In order to prevent this inadvertent spilling oi' the liquid, I have provided the contact lugs 2O in such relation to the bead 29 that before the drip cup has been suiliciently tilted for spilling liquid therefrom, the lugs 2O contact with the bead 29, so that by further tilting the drip cup, the strainer would be tilted to a noticeable extent, thereby Warning the operator not to tilt the drip cup further. In this connection, it is understood that the drip cup will at no time contain other than the small quantity of liquid Which has dripped from the coiee or tea grounds Within the strainer member.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction, combination and arrangements of parts as herewith described and illustrated, but my invention may only be limited by av reasonable interpretation of the claims.

I claim:

l. In a coifee and tea strainer, a drip cup having` a fiange With oppositely disposed groups of apertures therethrough, standards having tongues iitted in the apertures of the respective groups and turned in opposite directions under the iiange, each standard being curved on an arc having its axis parallel with the median line of the standard and having its free end formed into a cylindrical segment at right angles to said median line, and an oppositely apertured strainer member having its apertures in pivotal engagement With the cylindrical segment.

2. In a coffee and tea strainer, a flanged drip cup having opposite groups of apertures through its flange, standards having tongues in engagement with the aperturesv of the flange and havino' pivots formed at their respective free enc s, a strainer member having a bead formed atits top portion and having oppositely; disposed apertures in engagement with the pivots of the standards, and stop lugs formed on the standards and adapted to impinge upon the body of the strainer member for limiting the` relative movement of the drip Vcup and the strainer member.

3. In a coifeeand tea strainer, a drip cup, a strainer member, standards secured on the drip cup and pivotally connected to the strainer member, one of said standards having an elongated tongue extending laterally from its base and lying in a planeintersecting the standard along its median line, said drip cup having an apertured liange in engagement with said tongue, and a handle formed with a central aperture and with radial slots in communication with the apertures for receiving the tongue and the rim respectively.

4;. In a coffee and tea strainer, a drip cup having an apertured flange, standards secured to the flange, a strainer member pivotally connected to the standards, and a handle iitted to the flange of the tea strainer, one of said standards being provided with a tongue extending from the base thereof, said tongue being curved to form a cylindrical segment, said handle being apertured for receiving said tongue.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of tivo Subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY D. SMITH.

IVitnesses JOHN I-I. SWIFT, ISAPHENE F. SWIFT.

Copies. o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of atentsv Washington, D. C. 

